American War and Military Operations Casualties: Lists and ...

American War and Military Operations Casualties: Lists and Statistics

Updated July 29, 2020

Congressional Research Service RL32492

American War and Military Operations Casualties: Lists and Statistics

Summary

This report provides U.S. war casualty statistics. It includes data tables containing the number of casualties among American military personnel who served in principal wars and combat operations from 1775 to the present. It also includes data on those wounded in action and information such as race and ethnicity, gender, branch of service, and cause of death. The tables are compiled from various Department of Defense (DOD) sources. Wars covered include the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam Conflict, and the Persian Gulf War. Military operations covered include the Iranian Hostage Rescue Mission; Lebanon Peacekeeping; Urgent Fury in Grenada; Just Cause in Panama; Desert Shield and Desert Storm; Restore Hope in Somalia; Uphold Democracy in Haiti; Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF); Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF); Operation New Dawn (OND); Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR); and Operation Freedom's Sentinel (OFS). Starting with the Korean War and the more recent conflicts, this report includes additional detailed information on types of casualties and, when available, demographics. It also cites a number of resources for further information, including sources of historical statistics on active duty military deaths, published lists of military personnel killed in combat actions, data on demographic indicators among U.S. military personnel, related websites, and relevant CRS reports.

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American War and Military Operations Casualties: Lists and Statistics

Contents

Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1 Casualty Statistics............................................................................................................................ 1 American Casualties by State and U.S. Territories........................................................................ 30 Resources....................................................................................................................................... 42

Sources of Statistics ................................................................................................................ 42 Sources of Published Lists of Names of War Dead or Other Demographic Indicators........... 42

World War I....................................................................................................................... 42 World War II ..................................................................................................................... 43 Korean War ....................................................................................................................... 43 Vietnam War ..................................................................................................................... 43 Persian Gulf War (Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield) ...................................... 44 Global War on Terror/Overseas Contingency Operations................................................. 44 Past Conflicts' Source ....................................................................................................... 44 Wars Prior to World War I................................................................................................. 44 Additional Websites .......................................................................................................... 44 CRS Reports ..................................................................................................................... 45

Tables

Table 1. Principal Wars or Conflicts in Which the United States Participated: U.S. Military Personnel Serving and Casualties .......................................................................... 1

Table 2. Worldwide U.S. Active Duty Military Deaths in Selected Military Operations ................ 4 Table 3. Active Duty Military Deaths: Race/Ethnicity Summary ................................................... 5 Table 4. U.S. Active Duty Military Deaths, 1980-2010, Part I: Total Military Personnel............... 6 Table 5. U.S. Active Duty Military Deaths, 1980- 2010, Part II: Cause of Death........................... 7 Table 6. Korean War: Casualty Summary ....................................................................................... 8 Table 7. Vietnam Conflict: Casualty Summary ............................................................................... 9 Table 8. Persian Gulf War: Casualty Summary ............................................................................... 9 Table 9. Operation Enduring Freedom: Casualty Summary by Casualty Category ......................11 Table 10. Operation Enduring Freedom: Military Deaths ..............................................................11 Table 11. Operation Enduring Freedom: Military Wounded in Action ......................................... 13 Table 12. Operation Iraqi Freedom: Casualty Summary by Casualty Category ........................... 15 Table 13. Operation Iraqi Freedom: Military Deaths .................................................................... 15 Table 14. Operation Iraqi Freedom: Wounded in Action............................................................... 17 Table 15. Operation New Dawn: Casualty Summary by Casualty Category ................................ 19 Table 16. Operation New Dawn: Military Deaths ......................................................................... 20 Table 17. Operation New Dawn: Military Wounded in Action ..................................................... 21 Table 18. U.S. Coast Guard Service Casualties by Conflict.......................................................... 23 Table 19. Operation Inherent Resolve: Casualty Summary by Casualty Category ...................... 24 Table 20. Operation Inherent Resolve: Military Deaths................................................................ 24 Table 21. Operation Inherent Resolve: Military Wounded in Action ............................................ 25 Table 22. Operation Freedom's Sentinel: Casualty Summary by Casualty Category .................. 27

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American War and Military Operations Casualties: Lists and Statistics

Table 23. Operation Freedom's Sentinel: Military Deaths ............................................................ 28 Table 24. Operation Freedom's Sentinel: Military Wounded in Action ........................................ 29 Table 25. World War 1 ................................................................................................................... 31 Table 26. World War II .................................................................................................................. 32 Table 27. World War II .................................................................................................................. 35 Table 28. Korean War .................................................................................................................... 37 Table 29. Vietnam War .................................................................................................................. 38 Table 30. Persian Gulf War............................................................................................................ 40

Contacts

Author Information........................................................................................................................ 45

Congressional Research Service

American War and Military Operations Casualties: Lists and Statistics

Introduction

This report provides war casualty statistics. It includes data tables containing the number of fatalities and the number of wounded among American military personnel who served in principal wars and combat actions from 1775 to the present. It also includes information such as race and ethnicity, gender, branch of service, and, in some cases, detailed information on types of casualties and causes of death.

Casualty statistics for wars that ended long ago are updated periodically, sometimes yearly. These updates almost always reflect the identification of remains of persons previously listed as missing in action (MIA) and the reclassification of those persons as dead. Other reasons, much less frequent, include the discovery of errors in casualty records for individuals or categories such as race and ethnicity.

Casualty Statistics

U.S. casualty statistics are information on war fighters who have fallen in global or regional conflicts involving the United States. The data are gathered on deceased, wounded, ill, or injured active duty U.S. military personnel and Guard/Reservists. The Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) is maintained by the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC).

Casualty statistics for conflicts prior to the Persian Gulf War (Desert Shield and Desert Storm) are updated periodically by the DCAS of the DMDC. Casualty figures for Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), Operation New Dawn (OND), Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR), and Operation Freedom's Sentinel (OFS) are updated daily. Links to the sources for casualty figures appear below each table in this report.

Table 1 lists casualty statistics for battles, attacks, and operations from the period of the Revolutionary War to the Persian Gulf War.

Table 1. Principal Wars or Conflicts in Which the United States Participated: U.S. Military Personnel Serving and Casualties

(1775-1991)

Casualties

War or Conflict Revolutionary Warb 1775-1783

War of 1812c 1812-1815

Branch of Service

Total Army Navy Marines Total Army Navy Marines

Number Serving

-- -- -- -- 286,730 -- -- --

Total Deaths

4,435 4,044

342 49

2,260 1,950

265 45

Battle Deaths

4,435 4,044

342 49

2,260 1,950

265 45

Other Deaths

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Wounds Not Mortala

6,188 6,004

114 70

4,505 4,000

439 66

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American War and Military Operations Casualties: Lists and Statistics

War or Conflict Mexican Warc 1846-1848

Civil Warcd (Union Forces Only)e 1861-1865

Spanish-American War 1898-1901

World War I 1917-1918

World War IIi 1941-1946j

Korean Warm 1950-1953

Vietnam Conflictn 1964-1973

Branch of Service

Number Serving

Total Army Navy Marines Total Army Navy Marines Total Armyg Navy Marines Total Armyh Navy Marines Total Armyk Navyl Marines Total Army Navy Marines Air Force

78,718 -- -- --

2,213,363 2,128,948

84,415

f

306,760 280,564 22,875

3,321 4,734,991 4,057,101

599,051 78,839 16,112,566 11,260,000 4,183,466 669,100 5,720,000 2,834,000 1,177,000 424,000 1,285,000

Total Deaths

13,283 13,271

1 11 364,511 359,528 4,523 460 2,446 2,430 10 6 116,516 106,378 7,287 2,851 405,399 318,274 62,614 24,511 36,574 29,856 657 4,509 1,552

Total

8,744,000 58,220

Army Navy

4,368,000

38,224

1,842,000

2,566

Casualties

Battle Deaths

1,733 1,721

1 11 140,414 138,154 2,112 148 385 369 10 6 53,402 50,510 431 2,461 291,557 234,874 36,950 19,733 33,739 27,731 503 4,267 1,238

47,434

30,963

1,631

Other Deaths

11,550 11,550

-- -- 224,097 221,374 2,411 312 2,061 2,061 -- -- 63,114 55,868 6,856 390 113,842 83,400 25,664 4,778 2,835 2,125 154 242 314

10,786

7,261

935

Wounds Not Mortala

4,152

4,102

3

47

281,881

280,040

1,710

131

1,662

1,594

47

21

204,002

193,663

819

9,520

670,846

565,861

37,778

67,207

103,284

77,596

1,576

23,744

368

Hospital Care:

153,303 No Hospital

Care: 150,341

Hosp. Care: 96,802

No Hosp. Care: 104,723

Hosp. Care: 4,178

No Hosp. Care: 5,898

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American War and Military Operations Casualties: Lists and Statistics

Casualties

War or Conflict

Persian Gulf Waro 1990-1991

Branch of Service

Marines

Air Force

Total Army Navy Marines Air Force

Number Serving

Total Deaths

794,000

14,844

1,740,000

2,225,000 782,000 669,000 213,000 561,000

2,586

383 224

56 68 35

Battle Deaths

13,095

1,745

148 98 6 24 20

Other Deaths

1,749

841

235 126

50 44 15

Wounds Not Mortala

Hosp. Care: 51,392

No Hosp. Care: 37,202

Hosp. Care: 931

No Hosp. Care: 2,518

467

354

12

92

9

Source: Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS), report_principal_wars.xhtml.

Notes: Data prior to World War I are based on incomplete records in many cases. Casualty data are confined to dead and wounded and, therefore, exclude personnel captured or missing in action who were subsequently returned to military control.

a. Marine Corps data for World War II, the Spanish-American War, and prior wars represent the number of individuals wounded, whereas all other data in this column represent the total number (incidence) of wounds.

b. Number serving not known, but estimates range from 184,000 to 250,000.

c. As reported by the Commissioner of Pensions in the annual report for FY1903.

d. The Civil War (1861-1865) produced the most American casualties, when both Union statistics and Confederate estimates are taken into account.

e. Authoritative statistics for the Confederate forces are not available. Estimates of the number who served range from 600,000 to 1,500,000. The final report of the Provost Marshal General, 1863-1866, indicated 133,821 Confederate deaths (74,524 battle and 59,297 other) based upon incomplete returns. In addition, an estimated 26,000 to 31,000 Confederate personnel died in Union prisons.

f. The Marine Corps number serving is included in the Navy total.

g. Number serving covers the period April 21, 1898, to August 13, 1898, whereas dead and wounded data are for the period May 1, 1898, to August 31, 1898. Active hostilities ceased on August 13, 1898, but ratifications of the Treaty of Peace were not exchanged between the United States and Spain until April 11, 1899.

h. Includes air service. Battle deaths and wounds not mortal include casualties suffered by American forces in northern Russia to August 25, 1919, and in Siberia to April 1, 1920. Other deaths cover the period from April 1, 1917, to December 31, 1918.

i. World War II was the first war in which there were more American battle casualties than deaths from other causes, such as accidents, disease, and infections.

j. Data are for the period December 1, 1941, through December 31, 1946, when hostilities were officially terminated by presidential proclamation, but a few battle deaths or wounds not mortal were incurred after the Japanese acceptance of the Allied peace terms on August 14, 1945. Numbers serving from December 1, 1941, through August 31, 1945, were as follows: Total 14,903,213; Army 10,420,000; Navy 3,883,520; and Marine Corps 599,693.

k. Includes Army air forces, also known as the Army Air Corps.

l. Battle deaths and wounds not mortal include casualties incurred in October 1941 due to hostile action.

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American War and Military Operations Casualties: Lists and Statistics

m. Worldwide military deaths during the Korean War totaled 54,246. In-theater casualty records are updated annually.

n. Number serving covers the period August 5, 1964 ("Vietnam era" begins), through January 27, 1973 (date of cease-fire). Deaths include the period November 1, 1955 (commencement date for the Military Assistance Advisory Group); through May 15, 1975 (date last American servicemembers left Southeast Asia). Casualty records are updated annually, including current deaths that are directly attributed to combat in the Vietnam Conflict. Additional detail shows the number of wounded-in-action servicemembers not requiring hospital care.

o. For this conflict, Coast Guard numbers are included with Navy. Report does not include one MIA servicemember Captain Michael "Scott" Speicher, whose remains were recovered in Iraq in 2009.

Table 2 lists casualty statistics for worldwide U.S. Military deaths in selected operations.

Table 2.Worldwide U.S.Active Duty Military Deaths in Selected Military Operations

(1980-1996)

Military Operation/Incident

Casualty Type

Total

Army

Navy

Air Marine Force Corps

Iranian Hostage Rescue Mission

Nonhostilea

8

0

0

April 25, 1980

Lebanon Peacekeeping

Hostileb

August 25, 1982-February 26, 1984 Nonhostile

256

3

19

9

5

2

Total

265

8

21

Urgent Fury, Grenada 1983

Hostile Nonhostile

18

11

4

1

1

0

Total

19

12

4

Just Cause, Panama 1989

Hostile

23

18

4

Persian Gulf War 1990-1991

Desert Shield

Nonhostile

84

21

36

Desert Storm

Hostile

148

98

6

Nonhostile

151

105

14

Desert Storm 299

203

20

Total

Desert Shield and Desert Storm Total

383

224

56

Restore Hope and UNOSOMc, Somalia, 1992-1994

Hostile Nonhostile Total

29

27

0

14

4

0

43

31

0

Uphold Democracy, Haiti 1994-1996

Nonhostile

4

3

0

5

3

0

234

0

2

0

236

0

3

0

0

0

3

0

1

9

18

20

24

6

26

26

50

35

68

0

2

8

2

8

4

0

1

Source: DCAS, .

a. According to the Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms, as amended through August 31, 2005, a nonhostile casualty is a casualty that is not directly attributable to hostile action or terrorist activity, such as casualties due to the elements, self-inflicted wounds, or combat fatigue. The current version of the Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms, as amended through July 2019, uses the term nonbattle casualty for nonhostile casualty. See dictionary.pdf?ver=2019-01-30-082945-953.

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